To download the latest QuikSCAT GRIB2 data, click here.

To download the latest QuikSCAT GRIB1 data, click here.

To download files from an archive of QuikSCAT GRIB2 files, click here.

To download files from an archive of QuikSCAT GRIB1 files, click here.

To download the latest QuikSCAT GRIB2 data for Western Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico, click here.

To download the latest QuikSCAT GRIB1 data for Western Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico, click here.

To download files from an archive of QuikSCAT GRIB2 files for Western Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico, click here.

To download files from an archive of QuikSCAT GRIB1 files for Western Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico, click here.

NOTES:

1.  The gridded scatterometer wind product is derived from wind retrievals obtained by the QuikSCAT scatterometer. The QuikSCAT scatterometer is a Ku band radar aboard a spacecraft in low polar orbit. Reflected radar energy is a function of the ocean surface roughness. The prime contributor to the roughness is capillary wave produced by the wind. Scatterometer derived winds can be erroneous or contaminated in areas of moderate to heavy rain. In addition, erroneous wind speeds and directions can occur within 200 km of the edge of the satellite data swath. For further information on scatterometer derived winds see: http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/aboutScat/index.cfm or http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/quikscat/
The input data consists of a nine hour long composite of wind direction and speed, a rain contamination flag, and the time difference between data acquisition time and collection time. The input data is then interpreted to a 1/3 degree resolution grid. The sample data set is from the Atlantic Ocean with a data collection time of February 17, 2004 at 1239Z. The operational data sets will be global. For a definition of the data collection time, see Note 3.
2.  The grids are at a resolution of 1/3 degrees latitude by 1/3 degrees longitude.
3. The GRIB files contain four grids: u-component of the wind, v-component of the wind, a rain flag (wxtr) which is either 0 (no rain contamination) or 1 (possible rain contamination), and the number of seconds prior to the data collection time. The data collection time is that point in time which is 1 hour later than the acquisition time of the earliest observation in the latest QuikSCAT input file used to create the 9-hour composite.   Therefore, subtracting tsec from the data collection time will yield the time of acquisition of a given data point. The u and v parameters used in the atl_qs_20040217_1239_rel.grb1 (GRIB1) file are "urel" and "vrel". The u and v parameters used in the atl_qs_20040217_1239_sct.grb1 (GRIB1) and atl_qs_20040217_1239_sct.grb2 (GRIB2) files are "usct" and "vsct". The time increment and rain flag parameters are necessary information for this data to be interpreted properly.
4.  Both GRIB1 files and the image were generated with the GEMPAK software package, available free of charge at: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/gempak/index.html.  The GRIB2 file was created with the cnvgrib program, available free of charge at: http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/codes/GRIB2
5.  These grids are provided as is, for experimental purposes only, and represent possible formats that the OPC will provide in the future.
6.  Three GRIB files are included in the table above to allow existing GRIB viewers that display GRIB1 data to work for comparison purposes. These viewers can display the data in the file mentioned first in the table above (atl_qs_20040217_1239_rel.grb1). The data in this format will not be produced operationally in the future, however, the data in the other two formats will be produced operationally in the future. At the present time, all three files are static, i.e. they are NOT being updated periodically.
7.  This data, once operational, will be produced hourly.
8.  This table contains a list of QuikSCAT-related GRIB1 locally defined NCEP parameters and their GRIB2 equivelents.
9.  The grid products are in the international GRIB format.  Information on the format and on decoders for GRIB can be found by doing a search for "GRIB format" at your favorite search engine, or by visiting the following sites:

http://wesley.wwb.noaa.gov/wgrib.html.
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/docs/on388/download

Please direct questions/comments to Joseph.Sienkiewicz@noaa.gov
Page last updated 3/10/2004